Unsafe, abandoned Tinley Park property demolished

Tinley Park officials were pleased by the demolition of an unsafe, uninhabitable home described by one official as the worst building in town. (Handout, Village of Tinley Park)

A run-down, abandoned property deemed "unsafe" and uninhabitable by Tinley Park officials has been demolished, ending a process begun by village officials in 2012 and eliminating a neighborhood nuisance.

The house, formerly located on the 17800 block of South 67th Court on the southeast part of town, was a roughly 800-square-foot single-family home, Tinley Park Building Commissioner Don McNeely said. It was "unsafe and uninhabitable," according to McNeely.

From the outside, the building showed clear signs of extensive wear and tear. Bricks had visibly fallen off the facade while an access ramp leading to the front door appeared to be caved in during an earlier visit by the Tribune. A village posting on the door declared the property unfit for habitation.

Assistant Village Manager Mike Mertens said at the time that the refrigerator had fallen through the floor and shared photos demonstrating that the home was filled with garbage, adding it was the worst building in town. Neighbors told the Tribune the property was "literally falling apart."

Village officials sought approval to bring the house down this summer, with trustee T.J. Grady asking his colleagues on the board to recommend the building be demolished "in order to protect the public safety, health and welfare of our citizens" on June 18. The village had been working to bring the house into compliance with local building codes since 2012, officials said.

About two weeks after the board secured approval to embark on the legal process of demolishing the house, a purchase contract was put in place between the property owner and a prospective buyer.

Village officials held off going forward with the process of demolishing the home because it would be easier to work with the new owner to reach the same goal, Mertens said.

The building had been owned by a woman who inherited the property from her parents after they died, village officials said at the time. She didn't have "the means to maintain the property and make the necessary structural repairs," Grady said.

As soon as the new owner bought the property, Mertens said, the owner cleared a lot of brush and fallen trees from the site.

The new property owner then applied for a county permit for the demolition. The new owner needed to clear the house of asbestos before receiving permission to tear down the house last week, Mertens said. The property owner could not be reached for comment.